Lost Northern Star
by Amaranth the Immortal
Summary: Bella is a fallen star that saved Edward back when he was human. Now a vampire for one hundred years, he runs into her again. But will the love of a fallen star and an undead vampire still stand strong after the catastrophic consequences take their toll?
1. Prologue

**Hi, everybody!! I'm proud to say that after a year of neglecting my Twilight fandom, I'm finally paying tribute once more. My first attempt at a Twilight fic wasn't properly prepared for so I had to discontinue it (at least for the time being. :D You never know what I'll do...). So, I'm trying again mostly because I want to pay tribute to some of the awesomest vampire books I've read (and partially because I'm on a New Moon high right now. I saw it today, but since I don't want to spoil it, I'll just say that I was blown away, especially at the end. My bro wasn't too impressed, but I don't care!!! He wouldn't know a good movie if it bit him in the- . . . Sorry 'bout that. ^-^)**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy!! :) I know this is an unusual idea and it might not appeal to a lot of people, but I'm enjoying writing it. As long as I know that some people besides myself like it, I'll continue posting. I need a break for my other fanfic catagory. I've been writing for the anime Shugo Chara for like nine months; I need to take a breather ;^)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. It all belongs to the inventive mind of Stephanie Meyer… (This disclaimer counts for the whole fic, alright? It's so boring, making me repeat the same depressing info each and every time I begin a chapter. I guess that just means I have to write longer chapters, huh? TT)**

**Important (kinda) Notes:**

**1. I'm just going to give you some brief scientific background on the Astronomy used in the fic (yay...). Notice: I said BRIEF. This won't take long... hopefully. Plus, I'll probably mention some of this stuff later in the fic anyway... or I might not. So, it's just safer to read about it now I guess O.o  
- The North Star (AKA Bella in this fic) is a bright star to the north that sailors use as a guide to stay on course when at sea. It is the star that lies closest to the point above the northern polar axis of the Earth. The Northern Star is also called Polaris (which you should know for this fic), Pole Star, Angel Stern and Star of Arcady. It's also called Heaven's Needle(which I refer to it as once during this chapter)/Taivaanneula because it was said to be a pillar that supported the heavens above the Earth.  
- Sigma Octantis (South Star/Polaris Australis) is the current Southern Star. It is very dim compared to the North Star, Polaris.  
- Gamma Cephei (Alrai) is a star that will be closer to the nothern polar axis of the Earth than Polaris around 3000 AD. So basically, it'll be the new Northern Star at the start of the next generation.**

**2. I'm using Edward's vampire age in the book version of Twilight (104 years old) rather than his movie age (108).**

**3. Unless you're still unaware, I'll announce this little facty-fact: This AN is too damn long!!! So, I'll shut up and you can read in peace. Enjoy!  
**

Prologue

"Do you see that star, Edward?" Elizabeth Masen asked. She pointed her index finger northward.

"Which one?" and eight year old Edward inquired, following her finger with his lively green eyes.

"That really bright one, just up there," Elizabeth responded, adjusting her finger a little bit so it was more precise. "Do you see it?"

"I think so."

"That star is called the Northern Star. It's always high up in the sky. Well, as long as you're north of the equator; you can't see it to the south. Do you remember what the equator is, Edward?"

"It's that line that runs around the middle of the globe at home."

"What's it for?"

"It separates the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern Hemisphere."

"Correct," Elizabeth replied, turning her head to beam with pride at her young son. He twisted his neck to face her and smiled back.

Both mother and son were lying on their backs in the middle of a fertile, grassy field. The hustle and bustle of Chicago's night life was a very dull sound when it fell on the pair's ears. They were lost in their own world as they observed the starry night through wide eyes, trying to soak it all in. With their arms crossed underneath their heads, Elizabeth and Edward were on their backs with only the soft, green grass as a cushion against the hard earth. They'd gone outside for their weekly astronomy lesson. There was not a hint of a cloud among the stars on that peaceful, tranquil night.

"That star," Elizabeth began again, "is also called the North Star. It has other names as well like Heaven's Needle or Taivaanneula. But I just want you to know, my dear, that this star with help you find your way when you're lost."

"What do you mean, mama?"

"Well, you can always count on it to lead you north. If you lose your direction in these woods or in the city, Edward, just find the North Star in the sky and you'll know where to go to get back home. This star is always looking out for you."

Edward was silent as he studied the blazing point in the northern sky. It would always look out for him… It would help him find his way home…

"Can I always trust the North Star to lead me back home?"

"Always," Elizabeth replied confidently, snaking her arm around her son's shoulders and pulling him close to her side. She tilted her head so that it rested on his soft hair. She planted a soft kiss to the strands before turning back to the sky. Edward burrowed further into her warmth, effectively keeping the night's chill at bay.

"I want you to remember, Edward," she murmured quietly to him, "that even if I'm not around to help you, this star will always be here with you, through thick and thin. It is a companion that will always be faithful to you despite what actions you take. The North Star is the most trustworthy guide you could ever have."

"Even more than you?" her son asked with a disbelieving squeak, eyes wide.

Elizabeth chuckled softly. "Yes, it sometimes is."

The young boy, with eyes as green as the leaves on the summer trees, gazed at the Northern Star with awe and respect, wondering how it could help him even more than the mother he had at his side.

"Remember, Edward, that even if this star is hidden behind clouds of smoke or if you just can't seem to spot it among all of the other stars, understand that it will be with you, whether you believe in it or not."

* * *

9 years later

Edward hastened along the filthy streets of Chicago, pulling his coat tighter around his muscular frame. The sidewalks were damp under his feet from a day of steady rain and mist enveloped his figure. It clung to the fabric of his coat as he took abnormally lengthy strides with his long legs. The sound of his feet slapping the pavement echoed off the brick walls of the alley he'd just turned into. It was a shortcut his friend William had mentioned earlier that day during their military drills. Edward was exhausted from a day devoted entirely to conditioning his body for the army and thought only of the nice, warm dinner waiting for him at home with his mother.

With no thoughts to truly focus on as he walked down the alleyway, seventeen year old Edward let his mind wander. The mysterious events from earlier in the week managed to escape from his pile of already pondered thoughts and presented itself to him in the most immodest fashion. Begrudgingly, he seized the memory and ran it through his brain yet another time. He hoped that perhaps he would reach some sort of deduction that would make the cause of the event clearer to him. But despite the numerous times he'd thought it through, it still made no more sense than it did when it was first introduced to his bored self.

A few days ago, he was sitting on the front steps of his mother's house. Elizabeth Masen sat beside him and they both gazed up at the star-speckled black sky. His mother was chatting about whatever her newest interesting star was while he thought only of the North Star. Even since his mother first told him about it when he was just eight years old, that star had been dear to his heart. On nights when the stress of everyday life overwhelmed him, he'd watch that star shine brightly in the sky without falter.

This night was just like any other that he'd spent with his mother. Everything was going exactly as they expected. Neither knew that what happened next would affect the life Edward would lead when he was over a century old and undead.

One second, Edward and Elizabeth were gazing up at the sky. In the next, they were cringing away from a sudden flash of white light. Its dazzling brightness stunned them for the moment it was there. Then it was gone just as quickly as it had come. Nothing had changed except for one thing: the Northern Star was no longer in the sky. It had simply vanished. One moment it was there, the next it wasn't. There was simply no logical or illogical explanation.

Still lost in his theories of what might have been the cause for that strange event, Edward didn't notice the shadows at the end of the alley moving, adjusting themselves so that they remained hidden from the light in the street. As Edward reached the end of the alley, standing right in front of the shadow, he felt the cold metal of a gun press his temple.

"Gimme yur money," a voice sneered maliciously. Edward tensed in fear and surprise before angrily reaching into his inside coat pocket for his leather wallet. There was really nothing he could do with a fully loaded gun to his head. Any wrong move could make the smelly, obese thief pull the trigger. Apparently, it seemed to the man that Edward was reaching in his coat pocket for his own weapon. Panicked, the man forced Edward to his knees and pressed the gun deeper into the flesh on his head.

"No games here, kid," he growled.

"I was just getting my wallet," Edward hissed through clenched teeth. The man's filthy hands were gripping his Edward's wrists with all the force they could muster.

"Oh…" the man trailed off, looking even more idiotic than before. Edward raised his newly freed hand again to try to get his wallet once more.

Suddenly, the man with the gun became the one on his knees and he no longer had his weapon. Instead, a girl with long, shining brown hair held the pistol in one hand while the other was keeping the man down. She rotated the gun so that the butt of the pistol could collide with the back of the man's head when she swung her arm. The would-be thief fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

Edward gazed at the mysterious girl in awe, overcome by the subtle beauty of her movements. She dragged the body back into the shadows and tossed the gun after it. She turned to face Edward, but remained hidden in shadow.

"Come out here so I can see you," Edward whispered, beckoning her towards the pool of light he stood in. He saw her silhouette hesitate for a moment before taking a few cautious steps forward. She came to a halt a few feet in front of a now stiff-backed Edward. She'd revealed herself to him in the dim streetlights.

And she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Her long brown hair bounced with life even when she was still, causing the light to glitter off on its surface. Her heart shaped face was tainted pink on her cheeks while everywhere else remained a smooth ivory. The two orbs that rested perfectly in her head had warm brown irises with the purest white flashing through them, giving her an exotic, unearthly feel that raised your hair on end.

She gazed softly at Edward for a moment before extending her hand towards his face. His breath caught in his throat as she gently stroked his cheek. He felt his skin burn where she touched it. He wasn't sure if it was a reaction to her touch or just him blushing. His body froze under the sincerity of the abrupt gesture. She gave him a wide smile, approving of his healthy, unharmed condition. He warily returned the grin with his own crooked one. Her pale hand slipped from his face as she took a few steps back, her strange eyes never leaving his. She turned away from him with obvious reluctance. He felt a similar emotion manifest within him. He never wanted to see her go.

Edward reached out a hand to stop her from disappearing. Everything felt like an illusion, as though he were moving underwater. She turned back to face him before his hand reached her and placed one of her long, slender fingers to her lips.

"It's best if you didn't know," she whispered, her bell-like voice slicing through the thick Chicago atmosphere.

"Why?" he asked, desperate for some sort of information about this strange girl.

"It just is," she replied simply with a shrug of her shoulders. Edward tried not to make his disappointment apparent, but must have failed since she continued in a lighter tone on a different subject, "And watch out for yourself more carefully." She gestured towards the unconscious thief. "One of these times, I might not reach you before the damage is done." She giggled slightly at the end, momentarily curing him of his melancholy mood. Her voice was like a soothing lullaby to him; it rained down on his soul and calmed his frayed nerves.

"May I at least know your name?" he asked, remembering his manners.

She shook her head with an apologetic smile.

The girl turned away from him once more and took a few more steps into the alley before crouching down as if preparing to jump. Edward watched curiously as her knees bent and her upper body leaned forward, muscles coiling before whatever her next action would be. She sprang up like any normal being, but the moment her feet left the ground, she burst into a blinding white light, similar to the one he had seen earlier when the North Star had disappeared. But Edward was too disoriented to make that correlation in those few brief seconds. Before he could regain his rational thought, the girl had already shot off into the distance. Over a few rooftops she flew before escaping out of the immobilized Edward's line of vision.

He stood in that dark alley for a moment before quickly shaking himself out of his stupor and continuing his journey back home. His mother would be worried if he was late for dinner and he didn't want to give her any more unnecessary stress. She was beginning to become frail with some sort of illness that left all of the doctors confused. But for the entire walk home, all of dinner, and most of the night, that mysterious girl with welcoming brown eyes dominated every single thought that ran around inside his jumbled human head.

He knew nothing about this girl. He didn't even know her name. But he did know that she was no human. He knew that he shouldn't be thinking about her. Instead, he should concentrate on forgetting that mysterious brown eyed beauty. But Edward couldn't bring himself to let her go. He'd only known her for a few minutes, but that was more than enough time to thoroughly affect his heart.

In the short time he knew her, if you could even call it that, Edward's heart began to beat double time at the little memories she left him with. And it was her face, along with his mother's, that he constantly saw when he was resting on his deathbed a week later.

Without realizing it, he had fallen in love with her. But it was too late. Or perhaps their meeting came a little too early. It didn't really matter.

All that _did_ matter was that when Edward Masen awoke as Edward Cullen weeks later, Carlisle's venom had spread to his brain and caused the memory of the sweet girl to fade and fade and fade until it was as if their meeting had never happened.

***ducks barage of random Edward plushies* Don't worry, I'll fix this!!! It's just a . . . minor complication. But wow, Edward just forgot her during his transformation. I'm evil, right? Well, don't worry; he'll meet up with Bella properly as a vampire in the next chapter. And she still remembers him. So, review, my dears, review!!! I would like to know that I'm not completely crazy and that this idea appeals to more Twilight fans than just me... Oh, c'mon!!!! Bella's a fallen star, people!! That's gotta be interesting to some people, right? Right?!? O.o**


	2. Chapter 1: It's Really Him

**Oh, boy... I'm not even sure where to start. I guess I'll start off with an apology. I'm extremely sorry for the *cringes* months it took me to continue. It's been as if this story was in a coma, and the whole thing was on and off. I didn't want to delete it since I really wanted to write it out, but at the same time, I'd lost my inspiration for Twilight after writing only the first chapter. But I've finally come to the conclusion that completing this story is something that I truly want to do. :) I'm not going to get into the details, but over the past year, I've been putting up with my inferiority complex, meaning that my self-confidence levels are drastically low. Now, I realize that if I want to feel better about being me, I have to put myself out there and hope for the best... So, I guess the only thing to say is that I'm sorry for the delay. I hope all of my lovely readers can forgive me. :B**

**Disclaimer: Oh, yeah... I just remembered that I told you all how I wouldn't write disclaimers anymore in the previous chapter... Well, I'll write them anyway! Nothing but the plot line belongs to me. Everything else is Stephenie's work.**

_Chapter 1: It's Really Him_

Thunder crashed and lightning illuminated the dimly lit cafeteria. Girls shrieked loudly, making Edward's advanced hearing turn into a nuisance. He cringed softly, his immaculate fingernails digging into the thin skin of the apple in his hands. He blocked out the barrage of thoughts and watched the juice from the fruit drip down his long fingers with intense golden eyes.

Besides himself, the table was deserted. The rest of his family had gone off to hunt while he stayed behind for a test in Biology. If it was any other subject, he would have just went along with them. Mr. Brown, though, was a real headache when it came to retests. It was better to just wait a few days and go hunt on the weekend, taking the exam as it was scheduled. A sigh tumbled lightly out of his lips as he tore his eyes away from the apple. It was much more pleasant to sit through lunch with his family beside him.

Quickly finding that he could no longer stand the stares he always got from his peers, he picked up his tray in one hand and glided over to the garbage. His shoulders relaxed when everyone turned away and, anticipating the bell to ring soon, stacked his tray with the others and took off to his locker. After collecting his books, he decided to take a detour through the music department before going to Bio. He had time to kill before class so he soon found himself walking leisurely down the long halls with music resounding through the corridors.

He turned around the corner and ran into a girl walking beside Mr. Stephens, the junior's music teacher. Mr. Stephens didn't even notice the collision and continued on in his usual scatter brained manner. Edward quickly shot his hands forward to steady her, balancing his books precariously in the crook of his arm. His cold fingers firmly grasped her shoulder, her long sleeved clothing shielding her from the full effect of his frigid skin.

"Sorry," she murmured once she regained her balance. She kept her face down, hair swinging over her shoulder to curtain her features, and side-stepped him quickly. She bolted off down the hallway after Mr. Stephens, leaving Edward's own apology to die on his tongue. He closed his mouth uselessly and arched a perfect eyebrow. She turned around the corner, stumbling slightly on her rain boots as she tried to match her strides to Mr. Stephens'. Edward stared after her for a moment more with a frown before continuing on his way to class.

* * *

Biology was a complete and utter bore. Mr. Brown strutted into the room as usual, but he had more swagger in his step due to the fact that he was carrying exams still warm and fresh from the printer. Test day was always his favorite kind of school day and Edward cursed him relentlessly for it. The exam was, as expected, a breeze to complete. Edward felt at peace once he'd gotten it out of the way. Nobody wanted to make up Mr. Brown's tests.

Now he was walking towards his sixth period class, Astronomy. Taking two science courses in one school year, each at six periods a week may have seemed like a difficult feat to anyone but Edward. Having studied both of them excessively, he already knew everything that they would supposedly "teach" him. Still, it was a way to make the centuries of his immortality pass by, even if it was the equivalent of purgatory, perhaps even hell on the worst of days.

Mr. Mental stood behind his large teacher's desk, rubbing his left ear. It was a sort of nervous reaction for him, a way to release any excess stress he bore. The action caused Edward to gain a mild interest in whatever was on his mind. So, as he sat down at his own table, just like the table in Bio, he turned one ear to Mr. Mental's erratic head.

'New student,' Mr. Mental mused as he gathered up his supplies and turned on his laptop, 'I hope she's bright. There are enough dimwits in this period to give me a heart attack.' Edward smirked discreetly, getting his Astronomy notebook and textbook ready. 'Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait; I have to think positively of my students or I'll get no positive results… But they're all so stupid.' Mr. Mental gave a sharp sigh.

"My sanity's slipping," Mr. Mental whispered under his breath. Edward snickered softly as the bell rang for class.

Mr. Mental strolled up to the front of the room, turning on the overhead projector for the note slideshow. He took a deep breath and scanned the room with a frown. Edward discreetly glanced around and noticed that there was no new student.

'All that anxiety for nothing,' Edward thought smugly, studying Mr. Mental's nervous, perspired brow.

"Um, class," Mr. Mental announced, silencing the room full of juniors. "We were supposed to have a new student today, but she appears to be-."

The door suddenly swung open and a girl stumbled into the room, gasping for breath. Her brown hair hung loosely around her face and Edward recognized her as the girl he'd ran into earlier. She lifted up her head and he felt a pang of familiarity. Her heart shaped face and wide eyes seemed to be tugging at a distant memory of his, a human memory. But that was impossible. Anyone from his human life would be long dead by now.

Her face blazed bright red when she saw everyone's attention turned towards her. Her mouth turned down at the corners as she quickly made her way up to Mr. Mental, a white teacher's pass dangling from her fingers. The way she walked was quite interesting to watch. Her arm movements alternated between her unconsciously moving them in their own strange rhythm, not matching up with her legs, and her trying too hard to make them look natural once she realized how out of synch they were. Some people like Edward might consider it a unique way of moving while others would probably laugh quietly behind her back for her obvious self-consciousness. In a way, some snickering was inevitable.

"Ah, there you are," Mr. Mental said, his shoulders visibly relaxing. "I was getting quite worried."

"Sorry," she said quietly. "Mr. Stephens wanted to discuss something with me."

"Not to worry, young lady," Mr. Mental said briskly, eager to get to his lesson. He pointed a short round finger at Edward. "Take a seat over there at Edward's table."

The girl walked up to him, tripping twice on the way. She gave Edward a small smile as she slid into the chair next to him. Cool air coming from the vent blew her scent in his direction, and he instinctively stiffened. When no wave of bloodlust consumed him, he openly frowned and gazed at her with fascination and intense interest. His throat didn't even react to her, no slightest tingle making him yearn for her life blood. Instead, Edward was overcome by the sweet scent of freesia, with subtle traces of dirt and moonlight. Perhaps she had been traveling before coming here. The freesia was her natural scent while the soil and moonlight told of her recent environment.

She was in a similar state of shock, though Edward hadn't the slightest idea why. She studied him with her expressive brown eyes, which were glazed with awe. Those warm chocolate orbs… They flipped a switch in his brain. He recognized these eyes, but he hadn't the slightest idea why or from where he'd seen them.

This girl must have known where they'd met, though, because he caught her whispering under her breath so low that he had to strain to hear it, "It's really him."

This captured his attention entirely. His frown deepened, his mind so enraptured that the rest of the world and its thoughts were mere background noises. Her mind remained blocked; he couldn't catch a trace of her stream of thought. This seemed to be yet another mystery to add to the steadily growing pile.

A voice was talking to them from a distance, growing louder and louder. Edward finally broke his stare with the girl as Mr. Mental appeared in front of the desk. He was gazing at both of them in consternation, an Astronomy textbook grasped in his hands.

"Are you two feeling alright?"

This earned a few giggles from their classmates, causing another blush to erupt on the new girl's pale face. Edward remained unfazed, at least on the outside, and gave Mr. Mental a polite smile.

"We're fine, sir."

The girl gave a shaky nod, still rattled by the whole strange incident. Edward saw her eyes sneak one more glance at him before accepting the textbook in Mr. Mental's waiting hands.

"Very well, then," Mr. Mental stated, immediately turning businesslike to cover up the awkwardness. He strolled to the front of the room, the overhead projector all warmed up to begin the lesson.

"Firstly," he began, "I'd like to introduce our new student." A murmur of excitement came from the class. Apparently none of them had any classes with her yet, explaining why Edward hadn't heard her name earlier in their heads. The girl slumped deeper into her chair as Mr. Mental talked further.

Edward heard her name in his teacher's thoughts before it was spoken.

"This is Isabella Swan. I hope you'll enjoy your time in Forks, Isabella."

She forced a weak smile on her face which was burning a bright red. "Thank you," she choked out.

"I'm Mr. Mental," he continued. "We're just beginning our unit on stars." She nodded, looking as if she desperately wanted him to change the subject. Edward gave her a small smile. "Now, turn to page 156 in your textbooks and get those pencils ready."

He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Write really fast, Isabella. Mr. Mental talks very quickly." She turned to give him a thankful smile, her eyes lingering a little longer than necessary and having their usual flash of astonishment once she focused on him. "And I'm sorry about earlier in the hallway. I should've watched where I was going."

"No, it's fine," she said softly, smiling. "I'm just a little uncoordinated." Her cheeks turned a dusty shade of rose at her declaration and she hurriedly turned back to Mr. Mental's lecture.

Edward kept one ear turned towards Mr. Mental while he studied Isabella out of the corner of his eye.

'Her heart's beating,' he mused thoughtfully, 'and yet I don't yearn for her blood. There's not even the slightest temptation.' But he soon found that there was indeed a certain temptation, just not the one he was expecting. Her smell was heavenly and he inhaled deeply, even then craving for more. This too was quite dangerous for the both of them, perhaps only slightly less than the bloodlust. He was feeling more wonderment, even some admiration, fill his empty heart as she intrigued him further. There was a dull exasperation in the back of his mind as it searched for her thoughts, but that silence also brought a kind of relief. He could have a quiet haven with her, a refuge from the constant buzz of noise from everyone else.

Edward gave his head a slight shake. He'd hardly even talked to her yet. But she didn't seem to threaten him or his life in Forks since he didn't thirst for her at all. So, perhaps it was alright to talk to her… if only for a little while.

* * *

"Isabella, what did you think of the lesson?" Mr. Mental inquired, walking up to her once the bell rang. "Could you follow along?"

She gave him a timid smile. "Well enough. I've learned this already at one of my previous schools."

"That's good," he smiled. "Edward, would you mind escorting Isabella to her next class?"

"Not at all, Mr. Mental," Edward replied, lingering in the doorway. He'd wanted to talk with her anyway. She gave him a thankful smile as she approached, her brown eyes glowing.

"So, what's your next class?" he asked casually as they stepped out of the room. She paused and reached into her extremely worn brown messenger bag, made of a faded false leather, for her schedule.

"Um, Gym," she replied, brushing a few strands of her long brown hair out of her face. Edward reached forward and caught a few that she'd missed, giving her a warm grin. With a fresh blush heating her face, she returned the smile and followed him down the long halls.

"So, Isabella, what did Mr. Stephens want?"

"Call me Bella."

"Bella." Edward tasted the word on his tongue. It sent electric shocks down his spine to which he harshly berated himself. It was better to nip those feelings in the bud before anything came of them… But she was so amusing to talk to.

"Alright then, Bella, so why did Mr. Stephens want to talk to you?"

She averted her eyes. "He wanted me to join the orchestra."

"Oh, really?" Edward questioned, his interest rapidly growing. "What do you play?"

"Violin." She glanced over to him. "Do you?"

"I mostly play the piano. I do know a little violin too, though." He smiled. "There aren't many musicians in Forks; Mr. Stephens is probably desperate."

"He was," she answered with a small laugh. "But I refused."

Edward's brow knitted slightly. "Why is that?"

She was silent for a few moments, her arms tightening around her books as she clutched them to her chest. Edward found his feet drifting in her direction as they continued on and he grew more enchanted by her modest character. It was so refreshingly different from the majority of girls in the school, who only cared about whether something would muss up their salon styled hair. Bella seemed to care enough to comb her own pin straight brunette locks, adding the occasional clip to keep it where she wanted. In fact, her entire appearance gave off a cheery, blithe aura once someone looked past her self-consciousness.

Her conversation enthralled him, seeing as it created an opportunity to see her inner mind. He actually found himself trying hard to decipher her emotions. With his attention captivated in her small soft hands, he mentally urged her to keep talking. They'd only been walking for two minutes and he was already dreading reaching the gym.

"I'm not sure how long I'll be staying here," she replied cautiously, making Edward's still, quiet heart drop slightly. "I wouldn't want to let Mr. Stephens down if I had to suddenly take off."

"Ah, I see," Edward muttered softly. They walked in subdued silence until Bella decided to break the ice this time.

"What kinds of music do you like?" she asked jovially, tilting her head in his direction.

"That's a hard one," he mused. "There's really too much to name." He turned and flashed his most stunning smile. "But I don't like country too much."

She appeared dazed for a couple seconds. Edward gave a few whispery chuckles under his breath. Her expression was adorable.

"Neither do I," she finally responded, looking a little lightheaded. Once again they fell into silence, this time with the gym's double doors in full view. They stopped before them and gazed at each other. Bella gave her head a little shake and reached forward to grab the doorknob.

"Thanks for your help," she told him, taking a step away.

"Wait," he said, placing a hand on her arm through her long sleeved shirt. "How about after gym I'll take you out to my car. We can look at some of my CDs."

For the first time he could remember, Edward felt genuinely nervous. He feared her rejection, and wished frantically for her to say yes. In those few seconds, he felt like the seventeen year old he physically was, not the all-knowing century old vampire he'd always seen himself as.

Bella raised her eyebrows in surprise, her grip on the door handle and her books tightening with the sudden onslaught of nerves before flashing him a radiant smile.

"I'd love to."

Sweeter words had never been spoken.

**Meh, I could've made it longer I guess... But I like how this closed up. So, yeah; Bella and Edward meet again. WOOT! And I made Edward open up to Bella easily for a reason: the affection he had for her as a human is shining through and he's just kinda going with it. Plus, he doesn't want to suck her dry so it's easier for him (I'll explain that later :D). Besides, they're soulmates; they naturally love each other. :D**

**So, a big thank you to all of my reviewers/favoriters/alerters/readers (O.o) of the previous chapter! I love you all! I just hope you can forgive me for the wait... There's much more Bella and Edward love in the next chapter ;) I might write it more from Bella's perspective, like how this chapter was from Edward's. You all know she's a fallen star so it's alright, right? Anyway, please write me a review and tell me what you think, no matter what your opinion is! :3**


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